How to control the type of apps that can be downloaded from Google Play (based on content maturity levels)

posted by Florin T. / Nov 17, 2014, 1:53 AM

Please note: this is a tutorial for inexperienced users (beginners).

If you need to set-up an Android smartphone for your kids, or you just don’t want to have apps with mature content on your own device, Google allows you to filter the applications that you’re downloading via Google Play - based on the maturity level of their content.

The process of enabling content filtering on Google Play is simple, and only takes a minute or two. Here’s how it’s done: open the Play Store app on your Android phone or tablet, and tap on the menu button that’s found on the top left corner. Next, you have to hit “Settings”, which will open a sub-menu. This contains various tabs, including “Content filtering” - which you’ll have to tap. After that, Google will ask you to select the type of apps that you want to allow. You have five options: apps rated for everyone, low maturity apps, medium maturity apps, high maturity apps, and all apps. If you select anything else than “Show all apps”, you’ll need to enter a PIN to prevent future access to these settings (this way, only you will be able to change them).

Selecting to restrict apps not only doesn’t allow you to download them, but the apps won’t even show in Google Play - unless you alter the settings to allow them again.

This tutorial was made on Android 4.4.4 KitKat, but things shouldn’t differ much on other Android versions.